Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• Environment
• People
• Community

Environmental Achievements

• Installed additional high-performance LED lighting in our flowering compartments to increase cannabis quality and yield throughout the year, while keeping our carbon footprint low by choosing high-efficiency lights.
• Installed thermal curtains in all greenhouse growing compartments to reduce heating and cooling needs.
• Joined Climate Smart, committing to measuring our carbon footprint and setting ambitious reduction targets in future years.
• Built an outdoor nursery made from 90% construction scrap materials.
• Achieved 39% waste diversion rate, exceeding the Canadian average.

Social Achievements

• Hired over 140 people in 2020.
• Achieved 78% diversity across employee base.
• Expanded policies to include anti-bullying & harassment and cannabis at work, providing related training to all staff.
• Maintained a Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) of zero.

Governance Achievements

• Strengthened the Board by adding an independent board observer.
• Conducted inaugural materiality assessment to identify and prioritize key non-financial topics.
• Adopted a formal mandate setting out its stewardship responsibilities, including ESG matters.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Managing through the COVID-19 global pandemic and its impact on people, supply chain, and safe operations.
• Rising carbon footprint from energy use due to reliance on natural gas generators to supplement clean grid electricity.
• Sourcing recycled and recyclable packaging that meets Health Canada requirements.
• High employee turnover rate (27.7%).

Mitigation Strategies

• Mobilized to enable remote work where possible and modified facility and workflows to keep everyone safe.
• Actively working with BC Hydro to upgrade service capacity to reduce reliance on natural gas generators.
• Conducting a comprehensive energy audit to identify further opportunities to reduce consumption.
• Installing EV charging stations to incentivize employee use of electric vehicles.
• Conducting exit interviews and introducing stay interviews to understand and address employee turnover.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Focus on building relationships with suppliers aligned with Rubicon Organics' values and sustainability goals; plan to release Supplier Code of Conduct in 2021.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UNGC, SASB, TCFD

Certifications: Organic

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• Environment
• People
• Community

Environmental Achievements

• Achieved 53% waste diversion rate (2020: 39%), exceeding the Canadian average of 23% for non-residential waste.
• 32% of Rubicon’s products were packaged in lower-carbon-footprint mylar bags (2020 – n/a).

Social Achievements

• LTIR of 0.76 with only one Lost Time Injury in 2021 (2020 – 0 LTIR).
• Implemented programs to improve employee morale and address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Hired 68 people in 2021, including 4 TFWs from Guatemala.

Governance Achievements

• Maintained a majority independent Board of Directors.
• Regularly refreshed the Code of Business Conduct & Ethics and related policies.
• Performed an assessment of the gender pay gap.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Significant increase in energy consumption (79.7%) due to business growth.
• Continued use of natural gas generators due to insufficient electricity supply.
• Increase in overall employee turnover rate (58.4%) due to restructuring and pandemic stress.

Mitigation Strategies

• Worked with BC Hydro to upgrade electricity service capacity (completed in Q3 2022).
• Implemented regular check-ins with employees to gauge morale and address concerns.
• Implemented programs to improve employee morale and retention.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Organic certification standards for crop inputs
• Focus on building relationships with suppliers aligned with Rubicon's values

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UNGC, SASB, TCFD

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• Environment
• People
• Community

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced energy consumption by 13.4% to 98,053 GJ (2021 – 113,243 GJ) due to BC Hydro project transition.
• Decreased total carbon footprint by 19.1% to 3,983 tonnes of CO2e (2021 – 5,923.4 tonnes of CO2e).

Social Achievements

• Hired 92 people in 2022, with 86% from underrepresented groups and 81% of promotions from underrepresented groups.
• Improved employee turnover to 43% (2021 – 58.4%), with a significant decrease in involuntary turnover.

Governance Achievements

• Completed a materiality assessment to identify key sustainability topics.
• Maintained a 50% female representation on the Board of Directors.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Increased water usage due to significant production growth.
• Need to improve data granularity for water consumption tracking.
• Maintaining ambitious waste diversion targets.

Mitigation Strategies

• Planning to install submeters in the greenhouse to better manage water consumption.
• Evaluating the feasibility of collecting and recycling rainwater.
• Working closely with the warehousing team to improve waste diversion strategies.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Sourcing organic certified inputs.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UNGC, SASB, TCFD

Certifications: Organic Certification

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• Environment
• People
• Community

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced energy consumption by 24.1% to 74,406 GJ (2022 – 98,053 GJ) due to BC Hydro transition.
• Reduced carbon footprint from 3,982.96 tCO2e in 2022 to 2,063.66 tCO2e in 2023.
• Achieved 66.3% landfill waste diversion rate (2022 – 56%).
• 70% of Rubicon’s products were packaged in lower-carbon-footprint mylar bags (2022 – 55%).

Social Achievements

• Improved employee retention; 2023 turnover was 32% (2022 – 43%).
• Increased employee count by 6% to 178 employees at year end.
• 80% of employees reported being proud to work at Rubicon (increase from 69% in 2022).

Governance Achievements

• Adopted a formal mandate outlining the Board of Directors’ stewardship responsibilities.
• Implemented a Code of Business Conduct & Ethics and related policies.
• Improved CEO pay ratio to 14.4:1 (2022 – 28.5:1).

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Increased involuntary turnover rate to 13% (2022 – 9.6%)
• Need to further reduce water consumption and improve data granularity.
• Need to improve waste diversion rate to reach 80% by 2025.

Mitigation Strategies

• Hired a new Health & Safety Specialist.
• Installed submeters in the greenhouse to better manage water consumption.
• Working closely with the warehousing team to improve waste diversion.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Organic certification standards for crop inputs.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, UNGC, SASB, TCFD